Sardar ji ke Poori choley

By Anubhav Sapra

Despite the proximity of Daryaganj to Chawri Bazar and Chandni Chowk, the way food is prepared in these areas differ. While the food is mildly spiced in Daryaganj, in Delhi 6 it is hot and high on spices. Delhi Food Walks conducted its Sunday breakfast walks in these three places, and the highlight of the one at Daryaganj was Sardar ji’s Chole poori.

The shop was started by late Nand Singh ji and is currently being run by his son Kuku Singh. Originally from Rawalpindi, the family migrated to Delhi after the partition and shifted the shop to the current address on Ansari Road, Daryaganj, twelve years back. One can identify the shop by the board outside which reads, “Jeha Caterers” however the shop is well – known as Sardar ji ke poori choley ki dukan in Daryaganj.

At Sardarji’s shop, the menu changes as the day progresses. It starts with Poori Sabzi, offers rajma and kadi chawal in the afternoon and in the evening serves traditional snacks such as – samosa, kachori and jalebi.

This famous Sardar ji’s shop is proud of serving Punjabi poori. It is different from the regular Bedmi poori available in other places in Old Delhi. The dough of Bedmi poori, is made up of wheat and is coarse in texture. Whereas, the dough of Sardar ji’s punjabi poori is a mixture of wheat flour, white flour, ghee and salt. It is stuffed with urad dal ki pitthi (paste of yellow lentils), saunf (fennel seeds), jeera (cumin seeds), red chilies and the hing ka paani (asafetida water) and is deep fried in oil. The mixture of all the spices especially hing leaves the poori light and crisp and does not have any after effects like heart burn.

The aloo chole sabzi is mild in spices without onion, garlic and tomatoes. The sabzi is cooked in curd with masalas. The gravy of the sabzi is thick in texture and simply outstanding in taste : not too spicy, not too bland.

A plate of poori sabzi is accompanied with sitaphal ka achar (pumpkin pickles), sliced onions and methi ki chutney (fenugreek chutney). In winters, the pickles served are of gobhi and gajar (cauliflower and carrots). The pickles are also mild and light flavoured.

Apart from Poori choley, Sardarji’s shop also offers sweet malai lassi which is served in a kulhad and besan ke laddu. You can wash down the Poori choley with these if you find it spicy.

Anubhav Sapra is an avid foodie! He is a Founder but proudly calls himself a Foodie-in-chief at Delhi Food Walks. He is also a street-food and Indian regional cuisine connoisseur and loves to write about street-food.

Famous for its Mughlai and Tandoori dishes, CHICKEN CHANGEZI is a non vegetarian’s arcadia. Located on Netaji Subhash Marg, this small restaurant serves outstanding food. Though they don’t have much for vegetarians, but for the non veggies, this is shangri la!

I had heard a lot about the place, and the week before, I decided to visit the place for dinner. It is a small air conditioned restaurant which was established around 12 years back according to the owner, Mr. Mohd. Salman.

As the name of the restaurant suggests, the menu is chicken centric, with only a few other options, but that does not make it any less enticing. We began with the Afghani Chicken which is chicken marinated in curd and other spices and then roasted. It is then put in gravy of cream and butter. This Afghani chicken is had with onions and coriander chutney. The chicken pieces were succulent and soft. They were properly marinated and the flavours had touched the core of the piece. I would give a 10/10 to this dish because of the tender and juicy chicken it had. The gravy was equally tasty and smooth. We had also ordered Butter Chicken which arrived soon with the rumali roti. The proportion of tomatoes, cream and spices was perfect in the dish, but the rumali roti was not such a hit. It was not very hot when served and it became rubbery and stretchy soon. The butter chicken can be given 8/10.

And the showstopper of the evening was of course the most special dish of the restaurant; the Changezi Chicken. This is a great getaway from the usual chicken dishes. The grilled chicken pieces in the curry are first marinated in lime juice and spices and then grilled. They are later served in gravy. Initially one might find it a little sour, but gradually your taste buds will love it. It’s garnished with freshly chopped coriander leaves and served hot with khamiri roti or plain naan. The dish has a little crunch in it and tanginess. It’s aptly spiced and served. The dish can easily score 8.5/10.

For the dessert we had zafrani kheer. It is basically the normal kheer to which zafran (saffron) is added. This adds further flavour, colour and fragrance to the sweet dish. It was served cold and tasted incredible. After all the spice, the little sugar made a perfect ending to the perfect dinner.

The service is really impressive in the eatery. Despite the renovation that is on in the place, the staff ensures proper check on the customer’s requirement and comfort.

For all those looking out for inexpensive and delicious non vegetarian food this weekend, do try out the place. Even a full plate of butter chicken will not cost more than 500 bucks. The place is great for family meals or an outing with friends. It’s comfortable (not luxurious) and gives you the feel of having good food in the heart of Delhi. After the feast, you can take a walk to the famous Jama Masjid to digest the scrumptious meal.

A meal for two would only cost around 400- 500 bucks. My personal recommendation would be the Afghani Chicken and certainly the Chicken Changezi!

Anubhav Sapra is an avid foodie! He is a Founder but proudly calls himself a Foodie-in-chief at Delhi Food Walks. He is also a street-food and Indian regional cuisine connoisseur and loves to write about street-food.